Conventional vacuum cleaners are well known. They are known to include an upper portion having a handle, by which an operator of the vacuum cleaner may grasp and maneuver the cleaner, and a lower cleaning nozzle portion which travels across a floor, carpet, or other surface being cleaned. The upper portion is often formed as a rigid plastic housing which encloses a dirt and dust collecting filter bag, although the upper portion may simply be an elongated handle with the filter bag, and an external cloth bag, being connected thereto. The cleaning nozzle may be hingedly connected to the upper portion such that the upper portion is pivotable between a generally vertical upright storage position and an inclined operative position. The underside of the nozzle may include a suction opening formed therein which is in fluid communication with the filter bag.
Stick vacuum cleaners are also well-known. Specifically, small portable lightweight vacuum cleaners adapted to be hand carried have recently been developed. These types of vacuum cleaners are generally cordless, battery powered electric driven units which include a removable “bin” section to permit removal of the dirt collected therein. Illustrative of these types of vacuum cleaners are Pugh et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,875 and Miller et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,845.
Additionally, Nupp et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,914 illustrates a vacuum cleaner that is convertible between an upright vacuum cleaner and a portable hand carried vacuum cleaner. The Nupp et al patent also includes a removable dirt box and a handle which is rotatable between an extended position and a retracted position overlying the dirt box. A number of different forms of vacuum cleaners have been developed wherein dirt boxes or other components of the vacuum cleaner are removable from the body of the unit. Illustrative of such vacuum cleaner structures are those shown in Nerheim, U.S. Pat. No. 2,564,339; Krammes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,040,362; and Buchtel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,493.
Similarly to above, International Patent Publication WO 2008/088278 discloses a hand-held and stick vacuum cleaner, which can selectively carry out a handy type cleaning or a stick type cleaning. The disclosed hand-held and stick vacuum cleaner is configured, so that a hand-held cleaner unit is detachably mounted in a front part of a stick assembly. Accordingly, the hand-held and stick vacuum cleaner can carry out the cleaning operation in a state where the hand-held cleaner unit is mounted in the front part of the stick assembly (hereinafter, referred as “the stick type cleaning”), or in a state where the hand-held cleaner unit is not mounted in, but separated from the front part of the stick assembly (hereinafter, referred as “the hand-held type cleaning”).
Conversely, the stick vacuum cleaner disclosed in the international patent laid-open WO 2008/088278, discloses yet another convertible-type stick vacuum cleaner.
Regardless, it is known for vacuums such as this to include a motor and fan assembly that is enclosed either within the nozzle portion or the upper portion of the cleaner. The vacuum source generates the suction required to pull dirt from the carpet or floor being vacuumed through the suction opening and into the removable bin. A rotating brush assembly is typically provided in proximity to the suction opening to loosen dirt and debris from the carpet being vacuumed.
While prior art vacuum cleaners are generally very effective and are in widespread use, there has been found a need to provide a more effective and easy to way to clean. Specifically, although attempts have been made to provide stick vacuum cleaners for suctioning dirt from the corners and edges of a room, these prior edge and corner cleaning upright vacuum cleaners have not been entirely effective or easy to use. Furthermore, prior art stick vacuum cleaners have failed to bring together all of the benefits of extreme maneuverability, cordless convenience, low profile design and including a pivotable handle.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved stick vacuum cleaner which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.